Written by Roku (LightningBSoul)
Hanagata finished primping himself up in front of his mirror
with a grin. "Perfect! Otaru-kun won't be able to resist me! Now I
just have to concentrate on my remarkable entrance." He strolled to
the front door and was about to open it when suddenly Lime burst
through.
"Look!! Look!!" she shouted excitedly at Hanagata, who lay
at her feet with broken wood on top of him and stars circling his head.
"Otaru bought me tickets to the Star Daughters concert!!"
"Lime, no!" shouted Otaru as he burst outside just a
moment too late. He tried to grab her before she ran off again, but he
missed--in no time she was breaking through every apartment door
with her happy announcement. Otaru sighed and a huge sweatbead
appeared on his forehead. Almost reluctantly, he turned to Hanagata
to apologize to him.
"I'm really sorry about your door. I just couldn't stop her in
time."
Hana picked himself up with much effort, and tears made their
way to his eyes. "So much for a remarkable entrance," he muttered to
himself. He wondered aloud, "What is Star Daughters anyway?"
Otaru replied, "They're a new band that Lime has fallen in love
with. I heard they were having a concert nearby, so I went ahead and
bought some tickets--not that you'd care."
"Tsk tsk, my dear Otaru," said Hana shaking his head in dismay,
"when are you going to learn? I can't believe you bought tickets to a
concert for yourself and a marionette!"
"Actually," spoke Lime, "he bought tickets for all of us." The
boys turned to face her and saw a hoard of angry men screaming at them
through broken doors.
"Uhh, Lime, I think we better get inside," said Otaru. He
took her arm and pulled her toward their apartment room while Hana
stepped back into his own.
Hanagata sighed. "A failed attempt once again.
But what I'd like to know is...where did Otaru get the money to buy
four concert tickets??"
THE NIGHT OF THE CONCERT:
"Alright, girls, are you ready to go?" asked Otaru.
"Yes! Ready! All ready-ready!!" sang Lime bouncing up and down.
"I'm ready," said Blood Berry at the same time.
"Good! Let's go," Otaru said, but then stopped. "Wait a sec...
where's Cherry?"
"The potty," answered Lime with a cute smile.
"Ohhh...Otaru-sama," came a sickly voice from behind Lime and
Blood Berry. The girls stepped aside to reveal a fever-stricken
Cherry.
"Cherry!" cried Otaru as he ran toward her. "What's wrong?
You're red as a...as a...cherry," he said with a teeny sweatbead. He
felt her forehead. "You're burning up! But wait a second--marionettes
can't get sick like humans!" He paused. "Can they?"
"It must be that Maiden Virus," said Blood Berry. "It's a rare
twenty-four hour sickness similar to the flu, and only marionettes
with the Maiden Circuit can get it."
Otaru carried the sick marionette to the bedroom and placed her
on her futon. "If it lasts twenty-four hours, that means she won't be
able to make it to the concert tonight."
"Oh, poor Cherry," said Lime frowning. "We'll bring you a
souvenir, ok Cherry?"
"Oh, well, uh...sure," spoke Cherry softly.
"So Otaru, now we have an extra ticket," Blood Berry spoke.
"Who are we gonna give it to?"
"How about the girly-man next door?" suggested Lime.
Otaru shook his head vigorously. "No!!"
"I'd LOVE to go with you!!" said Hanagata as he burst though
the paper wall.
"Have you been eavesdropping?!" shouted Otaru accusingly.
Lime began to jump around in circles. "Great! We're all set!
Can we please go now, Otaru? I'm so excited!"
"Actually," began Otaru, "I think I'd better stay and watch
over Cherry."
Cherry grinned happily. "Oh, Otaru-sama! You're so kind!"
The others gasped. "Otaru, you have to come to the concert!"
pleaded Lime. "You're the one who paid for the tickets, after all!"
"Just call it a gift, then. If I go, I'll be too worried about
Cherry."
"Ah, Cherry can take care of herself," said Blood Berry with a
wave of her hand. "She's a big girl, ne? Come with us instead, Otaru!"
Lime stared at him with hopeful puppydog eyes. "Please?" she
asked.
"Well..."
"Please??" asked Blood Berry.
"Maybe..."
"Pleeeze???" asked Hanagata.
Otaru thwapped him upside the head. "You stay outta this!"
"Otaru..." Lime spoke barely above a whisper. He looked at her
and saw that her eyes had welled up with tears. "I really want you to
come, Otaru. Will you? Please??"
That face was too adorable to ignore. "Cherry, if I go with
them will you be alright?"
Cherry became teary-eyed as well, but Otaru assumed it was
from the fever. "I suppose...."
"Does this mean you're coming, Otaru???" asked the other three
concert-goers, one with a red hand print on his cheek.
"Yes, it does," Otaru replied. The other three cheered, and
they all walked out of the apartment and went on their way.
"That stupid, STUUUpid Lime!" cried Cherry as soon as she was
sure they had all left. "If it weren't for her, Otaru would have stayed
with me! He would have stayed with me...and we'd be all alone...." She
dazed off into another daydream. "Oh, for me? Thank you Otaru-sama,
I feel so much better--oh, but I musn't Otaru-sama, I'm sick! Oh, but
if you insist...oh Otaru-sama...Otaru-sama...." She tugged on her
bedsheets and giggled hysterically. "Oh MY!! Otaru-sama!!" She blushed
furiously. "Ouch! I'm making my fever worse!" she sobbed.
They arrived at the site of the outdoor concert, and already it
was packed. All the female fans were squealing with delight, and the
boys were dreaming of dates with a Star Daughter. Contagious excitement
filled the air, and Lime skipped around saying hello to everyone she
saw.
"All these annoying girls are making me sick," muttered Blood
Berry.
"Ooh, Otaru, let's go to the booths and buy some stuff! Can we
Otaru, can we can we???"
"Alright, but you can only have ONE thing. The tickets alone
kinda cut me short on money."
Lime grabbed Otaru in a big bear hug. "Thank you, Otaru!! I
love you!!" Otaru smiled. Lime bounced off toward the souvenir booths.
Meanwhile, Hanagata stood by in a daze. ~This is wonderful! I
actually get to spend a night out with Otaru!! But these two
marionettes of his...they completely take away from the mood! I have to
get rid of them somehow....~
"Hmm...Star Daughters T-shirt...Star Daughters keychain...Star
Daughters stationery...Star Daughters pocky dispenser...Star Daughters
hairdryer...Star Daughters toilet paper...wow, they DO have everything!"
"Have you decided yet, Lime?" Otaru asked patiently.
"Ooh, what's this?" Lime picked up a tube-like thing with a
wheel on the top.
"That looks really funny," said Blood Berry. "I've never seen
anything like that before."
Lime examined it for a short while, and suddenly burst into
giggles. "It's a Star Daughters wheel-thingy! Otaru, I wanna buy the
wheel-thingy!!"
So Otaru asked the booth clerk how much it was. "Let me see...
there's no price tag on it," the man said. "Where did you get this?"
"It was stuck in the pile of Star Daughters plushies, wasn't it
Lime?" Lime nodded.
The man thought for a moment. "Well, I don't know what it is, so
I'll give it to you for [this much]."
Otaru happily paid the small price, and then they decided to get
something to eat before the Star Daughters' performance actually began.
All the while, Lime took extra care of the bag that contained her wheel-
thingy, and treasured it as if it were the Holy Grail.
"How rude of you, Otaru-kun," spoke Hanagata. "You give special
treats to those marionettes, and you leave your best friend to pay for
his own food!"
"Be quiet, Hanagata," Otaru muttered back. "I was actually
beginning to forget that you were even here."
"Otaru-kun!" cried Hanagata. "Is that any way to talk to your
soulmate?"
"Would you get off this soulmate stuff? It's driving me insane!
I am NOT your soulmate!! When are you gonna get that through that thick
head of yours?!"
"Oh, Otaru, you're just in denial. You may not want to admit
it, but you know deep down that you just can't live without me, because
you and I were destined to be together."
"Slingshots! Get your Star Daughters slingshots!" shouted a man
carrying a cart of slingshots through the crowd.
"I'll take one!" called a girl. He handed her one and she
decided to test it out.
Hanagata continued, "You may not even realize it yet, Otaru,
but one day it will just hit you-"
SMACK!!
Hana went flying and disappeared in the rose bushes beside them.
Lime gasped. "What just happened??"
Otaru stifled his laughter. "I think it just hit him."
Suddenly the lights in the park began to dim, and a slow intro
melody blared from the speakers.
***a sound of heartbeat, a flash of pink***
"Otaru! Otaru! Look! It's starting!!" Lime jumped up and down,
more excited than Otaru had ever seen her. The fans turned their
attention to the empty stage screaming wildly, awaiting the appearance
of their idols.
"So let's see if we can get a good spot!" said Blood Berry.
"Come on, Otaru!" she said, and pulled Otaru with as she followed Lime
into the center of the crowd.
About halfway into the concert, Hanagata came to. Darkness
surrounded him. "O...otaru??" he called out helplessly. He tried to
move and yelped in pain. "Thorns..." he sobbed.
***a sound of heartbeat, a flash of pink***
If any band could capture the energy and talent of the world's
best Jpop in all of their songs, that band was Star Daughters, and Lime
knew every word. Even Blood Berry and Otaru couldn't resist the jumping
and singing, even if they didn't know all the lyrics. Since good things
never seem to last long enough, they were sorry when the concert was all
over. They began to walk alonside the bushes, following the way they
had come. As they passed Hanagata, Otaru unexpectedly vanished into
the rose bushes--but Lime and Blood Berry were too excited to notice.
"Otaru," said Hana teary-eyed, "how dare you leave me trapped in
a prison of thorns while you and those wretched marionettes have the
time of your lives! I've never felt more betrayed, Otaru! What you owe
me is a kiss!"
"A WHAAAT??!!!" Otaru struggled to break free, but now he was
trapped in the painful thorns as well.
"Kiss me, my soulmate." Hana puckered up and leaned forward.
Otaru couldn't move a centimeter--he was completely stuck! Sweat formed
on his forehead as Hanagata came closer and closer, and all he could do
was brace himself for the nightmare that was about to take place...
*************************
P R O G R A M
ROSE
S T A R T
*************************
Hana was tingling with excitement--this was the moment he'd
waited for so long!! His lips couldn't have been more than an inch
away from Otaru's...when he...seemed to...get stuck.... What torture!!
Hanagata was stuck in the thorns and couldn't reach his soulmate's
lips!!!
But a sudden burst of light surprised them both, and a crack
formed in the ground between them. As if it were an earthquake, the
crack in the ground began to separate them as it got bigger.
"YES!!!" cried Otaru in rejoice.
"NOOOOoooooo....!!!!" cried Hanagata despair.
Then something strange began to happen: from the crack in the
ground, an opaque-colored casing with a female inside began to rise.
The boys stared in disbelief...another marionette?!
The shaking stopped, and both boys noticed that the split in
the ground had set them free from the rose thorns, so they stood up.
"Otaru!! Otaru!!" cried Lime and Blood Berry as they ran toward
him. "We thought we lost you!" said Blood Berry, and then she gave him
a peck on the cheek.
Hanagata's jaw dropped. "No fair!"
"Don't scare us like that again, Otaru!" said Lime with watery
eyes, and mimicking Blood Berry, kissed his other cheek.
Hanagata yelped and sobbed some more.
Then before their eyes, the case that held the new marionette
began to open. Fog rose from it and engulfed them. Slowly, it began to
fade, revealing a girl with wavy rose-pink hair sitting up. All four of
them stared at her in disbelief. Otaru's heart jumped--was this another
marionette for him to take care of? Didn't he already have all the
marionettes with the Maiden Circuit he was supposed to?
The new marionette stared at Otaru in a daze from just being
awakened. "Who are you?" she asked quietly.
"M-my name is Otaru Mamiya," he replied. There was a silent
pause.
Hanagata broke the silence. "Well I hope you're happy, Otaru.
You love these marionettes so much--now you have FOUR to take care of!"
Blood Berry and Lime instantly became jealous--they didn't want to
share Otaru with ANOTHER marionette!
The new marionette turned around to look at Hana. "Who are you?"
"My name is Mitsurugi Hanagata, and I am Otaru's soulmate."
"No he's not," argued Otaru. The pink-haired marionette turned
back around to look at Otaru. She gazed at him some more, and her eyes
began to come to life.
"I love you, Mitsurugi!!" she cried suddenly, and whirled around
to glomp him.
"WHAAT?!" he cried in surprise.
The other three were completely shocked. Then Blood Berry and
Lime began to cheer.
"My name is Rose, and I LUUUUUV you Mitsurugi!" she repeated.
"And if he's you're soulmate," she said, pointing to Otaru, "then I love
him too!"
Otaru's eyes widened. "I said he's not my soulmate...!"
"Otaru, let's go home! We can sort things out at home easier!"
suggested Lime.
Cherry was just wondering when the others would come back when
they finally walked in. She pretended to be asleep and listened for them.
"Otaru," cried Hanagata's desperate voice, "please take her! I
don't want a defective marionette!"
"She's not defective, Hanagata!" said Otaru sounding irritated.
"She has the Maiden Circuit, and she wants YOU, not me!"
~What?!~ thought Cherry. ~Another marionette with the Maiden
Circuit? How can that be?!~
Otaru continued, "From now on, you'll have to be responsible for
her! Now go home and take her with you!"
"But Otaru, I have a little brother to be responsible for, and
you KNOW my father would never let me keep her!"
"I love you Mitsuru-kun! Let's go home!" said a voice unfamiliar
to Cherry. ~That must be her.~
"Then you'll have to explain it all to HIM--just leave ME
alone!" Otaru shouted, and then walked in the apartment and slammed the
door. He immediately went to Cherry's side. "Cherry, are you awake?"
She pretended like she had just woken up, and as she opened her
eyes she saw Otaru's face above hers with the other two girls behind him.
"Oh, Otaru, you're finally back! I...I didn't think I was gonna make
it..." she said--of course she was acting.
"I'll make you some soup, and then I'll stay by your side until
you feel better," Otaru promised.
Otaru walked into the kitchen, and Cherry smiled. ~How romantic!
If it weren't for the fever, I'd say this is the best time of my life!!~
Then Lime held out her bag to Cherry. "Here you go, just like I
promised!"
"...Promised?" asked Cherry, confused.
"Yeah! I promised to get you a souvenir!"
"Lime!" spoke Blood Berry. "I thought you bought that for
yourself! It's the only thing you have to remind you of your special
night."
"No it's not. I'll always have memories. That's all I need," she
replied with an innocent smile.
Cherry sat up, took the bag and looked inside.
"I don't know what it is, but I thought it looked cool!" said
Lime. "Don't you like it?"
Cherry pulled the thing out of the bag and examined it with a
puzzled look on her face. Then her eyes lit up with understanding, and
she held the bottom end to her eye while spinning the other end slowly.
"It's a kaleidoscope!" she announced happily. ~I guess Lime isn't all
that bad....~
"A la-whatta-scope?" asked Lime. Cherry showed her how to use
it, and Lime was easily fascinated. Then she showed Blood Berry, who
found it quite interesting, although her reaction was much more mature.
"Otaru!" called Lime. "Come look at Cherry's lakida-scope!"
Otaru chuckled. "Yeah," he said to himself, "finally Hanagata
will realize what it's like to have a marionette with the Maiden
Circuit." He exited the kitchen with a cup of hot tea and left the soup
to heat up, which slowly filled the empty room with a delicious aroma.
Muahahahahaaaa! How's that for not having a plot?!
Hanagata finished primping himself up in front of his mirror
with a grin. "Perfect! Otaru-kun won't be able to resist me! Now I
just have to concentrate on my remarkable entrance." He strolled to
the front door and was about to open it when suddenly Lime burst
through.
"Look!! Look!!" she shouted excitedly at Hanagata, who lay
at her feet with broken wood on top of him and stars circling his head.
"Otaru bought me tickets to the Star Daughters concert!!"
"Lime, no!" shouted Otaru as he burst outside just a
moment too late. He tried to grab her before she ran off again, but he
missed--in no time she was breaking through every apartment door
with her happy announcement. Otaru sighed and a huge sweatbead
appeared on his forehead. Almost reluctantly, he turned to Hanagata
to apologize to him.
"I'm really sorry about your door. I just couldn't stop her in
time."
Hana picked himself up with much effort, and tears made their
way to his eyes. "So much for a remarkable entrance," he muttered to
himself. He wondered aloud, "What is Star Daughters anyway?"
Otaru replied, "They're a new band that Lime has fallen in love
with. I heard they were having a concert nearby, so I went ahead and
bought some tickets--not that you'd care."
"Tsk tsk, my dear Otaru," said Hana shaking his head in dismay,
"when are you going to learn? I can't believe you bought tickets to a
concert for yourself and a marionette!"
"Actually," spoke Lime, "he bought tickets for all of us." The
boys turned to face her and saw a hoard of angry men screaming at them
through broken doors.
"Uhh, Lime, I think we better get inside," said Otaru. He
took her arm and pulled her toward their apartment room while Hana
stepped back into his own.
Hanagata sighed. "A failed attempt once again.
But what I'd like to know is...where did Otaru get the money to buy
four concert tickets??"
THE NIGHT OF THE CONCERT:
"Alright, girls, are you ready to go?" asked Otaru.
"Yes! Ready! All ready-ready!!" sang Lime bouncing up and down.
"I'm ready," said Blood Berry at the same time.
"Good! Let's go," Otaru said, but then stopped. "Wait a sec...
where's Cherry?"
"The potty," answered Lime with a cute smile.
"Ohhh...Otaru-sama," came a sickly voice from behind Lime and
Blood Berry. The girls stepped aside to reveal a fever-stricken
Cherry.
"Cherry!" cried Otaru as he ran toward her. "What's wrong?
You're red as a...as a...cherry," he said with a teeny sweatbead. He
felt her forehead. "You're burning up! But wait a second--marionettes
can't get sick like humans!" He paused. "Can they?"
"It must be that Maiden Virus," said Blood Berry. "It's a rare
twenty-four hour sickness similar to the flu, and only marionettes
with the Maiden Circuit can get it."
Otaru carried the sick marionette to the bedroom and placed her
on her futon. "If it lasts twenty-four hours, that means she won't be
able to make it to the concert tonight."
"Oh, poor Cherry," said Lime frowning. "We'll bring you a
souvenir, ok Cherry?"
"Oh, well, uh...sure," spoke Cherry softly.
"So Otaru, now we have an extra ticket," Blood Berry spoke.
"Who are we gonna give it to?"
"How about the girly-man next door?" suggested Lime.
Otaru shook his head vigorously. "No!!"
"I'd LOVE to go with you!!" said Hanagata as he burst though
the paper wall.
"Have you been eavesdropping?!" shouted Otaru accusingly.
Lime began to jump around in circles. "Great! We're all set!
Can we please go now, Otaru? I'm so excited!"
"Actually," began Otaru, "I think I'd better stay and watch
over Cherry."
Cherry grinned happily. "Oh, Otaru-sama! You're so kind!"
The others gasped. "Otaru, you have to come to the concert!"
pleaded Lime. "You're the one who paid for the tickets, after all!"
"Just call it a gift, then. If I go, I'll be too worried about
Cherry."
"Ah, Cherry can take care of herself," said Blood Berry with a
wave of her hand. "She's a big girl, ne? Come with us instead, Otaru!"
Lime stared at him with hopeful puppydog eyes. "Please?" she
asked.
"Well..."
"Please??" asked Blood Berry.
"Maybe..."
"Pleeeze???" asked Hanagata.
Otaru thwapped him upside the head. "You stay outta this!"
"Otaru..." Lime spoke barely above a whisper. He looked at her
and saw that her eyes had welled up with tears. "I really want you to
come, Otaru. Will you? Please??"
That face was too adorable to ignore. "Cherry, if I go with
them will you be alright?"
Cherry became teary-eyed as well, but Otaru assumed it was
from the fever. "I suppose...."
"Does this mean you're coming, Otaru???" asked the other three
concert-goers, one with a red hand print on his cheek.
"Yes, it does," Otaru replied. The other three cheered, and
they all walked out of the apartment and went on their way.
"That stupid, STUUUpid Lime!" cried Cherry as soon as she was
sure they had all left. "If it weren't for her, Otaru would have stayed
with me! He would have stayed with me...and we'd be all alone...." She
dazed off into another daydream. "Oh, for me? Thank you Otaru-sama,
I feel so much better--oh, but I musn't Otaru-sama, I'm sick! Oh, but
if you insist...oh Otaru-sama...Otaru-sama...." She tugged on her
bedsheets and giggled hysterically. "Oh MY!! Otaru-sama!!" She blushed
furiously. "Ouch! I'm making my fever worse!" she sobbed.
They arrived at the site of the outdoor concert, and already it
was packed. All the female fans were squealing with delight, and the
boys were dreaming of dates with a Star Daughter. Contagious excitement
filled the air, and Lime skipped around saying hello to everyone she
saw.
"All these annoying girls are making me sick," muttered Blood
Berry.
"Ooh, Otaru, let's go to the booths and buy some stuff! Can we
Otaru, can we can we???"
"Alright, but you can only have ONE thing. The tickets alone
kinda cut me short on money."
Lime grabbed Otaru in a big bear hug. "Thank you, Otaru!! I
love you!!" Otaru smiled. Lime bounced off toward the souvenir booths.
Meanwhile, Hanagata stood by in a daze. ~This is wonderful! I
actually get to spend a night out with Otaru!! But these two
marionettes of his...they completely take away from the mood! I have to
get rid of them somehow....~
"Hmm...Star Daughters T-shirt...Star Daughters keychain...Star
Daughters stationery...Star Daughters pocky dispenser...Star Daughters
hairdryer...Star Daughters toilet paper...wow, they DO have everything!"
"Have you decided yet, Lime?" Otaru asked patiently.
"Ooh, what's this?" Lime picked up a tube-like thing with a
wheel on the top.
"That looks really funny," said Blood Berry. "I've never seen
anything like that before."
Lime examined it for a short while, and suddenly burst into
giggles. "It's a Star Daughters wheel-thingy! Otaru, I wanna buy the
wheel-thingy!!"
So Otaru asked the booth clerk how much it was. "Let me see...
there's no price tag on it," the man said. "Where did you get this?"
"It was stuck in the pile of Star Daughters plushies, wasn't it
Lime?" Lime nodded.
The man thought for a moment. "Well, I don't know what it is, so
I'll give it to you for [this much]."
Otaru happily paid the small price, and then they decided to get
something to eat before the Star Daughters' performance actually began.
All the while, Lime took extra care of the bag that contained her wheel-
thingy, and treasured it as if it were the Holy Grail.
"How rude of you, Otaru-kun," spoke Hanagata. "You give special
treats to those marionettes, and you leave your best friend to pay for
his own food!"
"Be quiet, Hanagata," Otaru muttered back. "I was actually
beginning to forget that you were even here."
"Otaru-kun!" cried Hanagata. "Is that any way to talk to your
soulmate?"
"Would you get off this soulmate stuff? It's driving me insane!
I am NOT your soulmate!! When are you gonna get that through that thick
head of yours?!"
"Oh, Otaru, you're just in denial. You may not want to admit
it, but you know deep down that you just can't live without me, because
you and I were destined to be together."
"Slingshots! Get your Star Daughters slingshots!" shouted a man
carrying a cart of slingshots through the crowd.
"I'll take one!" called a girl. He handed her one and she
decided to test it out.
Hanagata continued, "You may not even realize it yet, Otaru,
but one day it will just hit you-"
SMACK!!
Hana went flying and disappeared in the rose bushes beside them.
Lime gasped. "What just happened??"
Otaru stifled his laughter. "I think it just hit him."
Suddenly the lights in the park began to dim, and a slow intro
melody blared from the speakers.
***a sound of heartbeat, a flash of pink***
"Otaru! Otaru! Look! It's starting!!" Lime jumped up and down,
more excited than Otaru had ever seen her. The fans turned their
attention to the empty stage screaming wildly, awaiting the appearance
of their idols.
"So let's see if we can get a good spot!" said Blood Berry.
"Come on, Otaru!" she said, and pulled Otaru with as she followed Lime
into the center of the crowd.
About halfway into the concert, Hanagata came to. Darkness
surrounded him. "O...otaru??" he called out helplessly. He tried to
move and yelped in pain. "Thorns..." he sobbed.
***a sound of heartbeat, a flash of pink***
If any band could capture the energy and talent of the world's
best Jpop in all of their songs, that band was Star Daughters, and Lime
knew every word. Even Blood Berry and Otaru couldn't resist the jumping
and singing, even if they didn't know all the lyrics. Since good things
never seem to last long enough, they were sorry when the concert was all
over. They began to walk alonside the bushes, following the way they
had come. As they passed Hanagata, Otaru unexpectedly vanished into
the rose bushes--but Lime and Blood Berry were too excited to notice.
"Otaru," said Hana teary-eyed, "how dare you leave me trapped in
a prison of thorns while you and those wretched marionettes have the
time of your lives! I've never felt more betrayed, Otaru! What you owe
me is a kiss!"
"A WHAAAT??!!!" Otaru struggled to break free, but now he was
trapped in the painful thorns as well.
"Kiss me, my soulmate." Hana puckered up and leaned forward.
Otaru couldn't move a centimeter--he was completely stuck! Sweat formed
on his forehead as Hanagata came closer and closer, and all he could do
was brace himself for the nightmare that was about to take place...
*************************
P R O G R A M
ROSE
S T A R T
*************************
Hana was tingling with excitement--this was the moment he'd
waited for so long!! His lips couldn't have been more than an inch
away from Otaru's...when he...seemed to...get stuck.... What torture!!
Hanagata was stuck in the thorns and couldn't reach his soulmate's
lips!!!
But a sudden burst of light surprised them both, and a crack
formed in the ground between them. As if it were an earthquake, the
crack in the ground began to separate them as it got bigger.
"YES!!!" cried Otaru in rejoice.
"NOOOOoooooo....!!!!" cried Hanagata despair.
Then something strange began to happen: from the crack in the
ground, an opaque-colored casing with a female inside began to rise.
The boys stared in disbelief...another marionette?!
The shaking stopped, and both boys noticed that the split in
the ground had set them free from the rose thorns, so they stood up.
"Otaru!! Otaru!!" cried Lime and Blood Berry as they ran toward
him. "We thought we lost you!" said Blood Berry, and then she gave him
a peck on the cheek.
Hanagata's jaw dropped. "No fair!"
"Don't scare us like that again, Otaru!" said Lime with watery
eyes, and mimicking Blood Berry, kissed his other cheek.
Hanagata yelped and sobbed some more.
Then before their eyes, the case that held the new marionette
began to open. Fog rose from it and engulfed them. Slowly, it began to
fade, revealing a girl with wavy rose-pink hair sitting up. All four of
them stared at her in disbelief. Otaru's heart jumped--was this another
marionette for him to take care of? Didn't he already have all the
marionettes with the Maiden Circuit he was supposed to?
The new marionette stared at Otaru in a daze from just being
awakened. "Who are you?" she asked quietly.
"M-my name is Otaru Mamiya," he replied. There was a silent
pause.
Hanagata broke the silence. "Well I hope you're happy, Otaru.
You love these marionettes so much--now you have FOUR to take care of!"
Blood Berry and Lime instantly became jealous--they didn't want to
share Otaru with ANOTHER marionette!
The new marionette turned around to look at Hana. "Who are you?"
"My name is Mitsurugi Hanagata, and I am Otaru's soulmate."
"No he's not," argued Otaru. The pink-haired marionette turned
back around to look at Otaru. She gazed at him some more, and her eyes
began to come to life.
"I love you, Mitsurugi!!" she cried suddenly, and whirled around
to glomp him.
"WHAAT?!" he cried in surprise.
The other three were completely shocked. Then Blood Berry and
Lime began to cheer.
"My name is Rose, and I LUUUUUV you Mitsurugi!" she repeated.
"And if he's you're soulmate," she said, pointing to Otaru, "then I love
him too!"
Otaru's eyes widened. "I said he's not my soulmate...!"
"Otaru, let's go home! We can sort things out at home easier!"
suggested Lime.
Cherry was just wondering when the others would come back when
they finally walked in. She pretended to be asleep and listened for them.
"Otaru," cried Hanagata's desperate voice, "please take her! I
don't want a defective marionette!"
"She's not defective, Hanagata!" said Otaru sounding irritated.
"She has the Maiden Circuit, and she wants YOU, not me!"
~What?!~ thought Cherry. ~Another marionette with the Maiden
Circuit? How can that be?!~
Otaru continued, "From now on, you'll have to be responsible for
her! Now go home and take her with you!"
"But Otaru, I have a little brother to be responsible for, and
you KNOW my father would never let me keep her!"
"I love you Mitsuru-kun! Let's go home!" said a voice unfamiliar
to Cherry. ~That must be her.~
"Then you'll have to explain it all to HIM--just leave ME
alone!" Otaru shouted, and then walked in the apartment and slammed the
door. He immediately went to Cherry's side. "Cherry, are you awake?"
She pretended like she had just woken up, and as she opened her
eyes she saw Otaru's face above hers with the other two girls behind him.
"Oh, Otaru, you're finally back! I...I didn't think I was gonna make
it..." she said--of course she was acting.
"I'll make you some soup, and then I'll stay by your side until
you feel better," Otaru promised.
Otaru walked into the kitchen, and Cherry smiled. ~How romantic!
If it weren't for the fever, I'd say this is the best time of my life!!~
Then Lime held out her bag to Cherry. "Here you go, just like I
promised!"
"...Promised?" asked Cherry, confused.
"Yeah! I promised to get you a souvenir!"
"Lime!" spoke Blood Berry. "I thought you bought that for
yourself! It's the only thing you have to remind you of your special
night."
"No it's not. I'll always have memories. That's all I need," she
replied with an innocent smile.
Cherry sat up, took the bag and looked inside.
"I don't know what it is, but I thought it looked cool!" said
Lime. "Don't you like it?"
Cherry pulled the thing out of the bag and examined it with a
puzzled look on her face. Then her eyes lit up with understanding, and
she held the bottom end to her eye while spinning the other end slowly.
"It's a kaleidoscope!" she announced happily. ~I guess Lime isn't all
that bad....~
"A la-whatta-scope?" asked Lime. Cherry showed her how to use
it, and Lime was easily fascinated. Then she showed Blood Berry, who
found it quite interesting, although her reaction was much more mature.
"Otaru!" called Lime. "Come look at Cherry's lakida-scope!"
Otaru chuckled. "Yeah," he said to himself, "finally Hanagata
will realize what it's like to have a marionette with the Maiden
Circuit." He exited the kitchen with a cup of hot tea and left the soup
to heat up, which slowly filled the empty room with a delicious aroma.
Muahahahahaaaa! How's that for not having a plot?!